Essay about Applying the Methyl Red (MR) Test

The following tests according to the lab manual were performed: gram stain, fermentation tubes, methyl red, vogues proskauer, sulfur, indole, motility and growing it up on MacConkey agar. The gram stain was performed incorrectly the first time. This is because the decolorizer was not on the bacterium slide for long enough, giving a false outcome.

The Methyl Red test is a differential test for bacterial respiration used to differentiate strains of coliform bacteria capable of performing mixed acid fermentation that will lower the pH despite the phosphate buffer (http://faculty.deanza.fhda.edu). Mixed acid fermentation is confirmed by using methyl red as an indicator. It is red ant pH 4.4 and below, yellow at pH 6.2 and above, and orange in between. Red is a positive result reported as (+), yellow is a negative result reported as (-), and orange is negative or inconclusive.

I identified Citrobacter freundii, the gram negative rod, by running a series of tests. I began with the Phenol Red Lactose tests, which tests if the organism contains various enzymes that determine if it can ferment lactose. The broth turned yellow after it was incubated, indicating that the lactose was fermented to acid, and there was also gas present in the Durham tube. Since the Phenol Red Lactose Test was positive, I then ran the Phenol Red Sucrose test, which tests if the bacteria contain different enzymes that determine if sucrose can be fermented. After incubation, the broth was yellow, indicating that sugar was fermented to acid, and there was also gas present in the Durham tube. Next, I ran the Sulfide Production, Indole Formation, Motility test, but I was only testing for Hydrogen Sulfide Production to differentiate between the organisms Citrobacter freundii and Enterobacter aerogenes. This test detects if the organisms can metabolize sulfur into hydrogen sulfide, which is revealed by the formation of ferrous sulfide that causes blackening around the growth. The test also reveals if the organism can break tryptophan into indole or migrate away from initial stab area. After incubation, the agar slant was completely black, indicating that the organism produces hydrogen sulfide and is motile proving that it was Citrobacter

The first result of importance was the result of the Gram stain. The observations of the unknown bacteria from the slant culture after Gram staining showed that the unknown bacteria were Gram negative bacilli (Image 1). After determining the unknown bacteria was Gram negative, an oxidase test was conducted on a sample from the slant culture. The cotton swap with the sample of bacteria did not change color when the oxidase reagent was applied, thus providing a negative result. With a negative oxidase test, further tests were conducted to determine various characteristics of the unknown bacteria. A MR-VP broth was inoculated with a sample from a slant culture of unknown bacteria. After incubation, the methyl red reagent was added to the broth, and the broth turned red, providing a positive result (Image 2). An EMB agar streak plate was inoculated with a sample from a slant culture of the unknown bacteria, and after incubation, growth was found on the plate, providing a positive result (Image 3). A Citrate agar slant was inoculated, and after incubation, growth was found on the media, providing a positive result (Image 4). A Urea agar slant was inoculated, and after incubation, the agar had changed from a peach color to a bright pink color, providing a positive result (Image 5). Using the flowchart (Figure 1) developed from the Table of Expected Results, the lab partners started at the oxidase test. Given the negative result of the oxidase test, the flowchart is

Nitrate reduction was tested for by inoculating a nitrate broth with the unknown gram (-) culture, and allowing growth to take place. Adding 2 drops of both sulfanilic acid and α-napththylamine to the medium if the first test to see if nitrite is present. If nitrite is present, the medium turns red, indicating a positive test. However, if the medium does not change, a second test is performed to see if nitrite was further reduced. In this second test, zinc powder is added to the broth to catalyze the reduction of any nitrate present to nitrite. If nitrate is present when the zinc is added the reduction of this compound will cause the medium to turn red, from the previously added reagents. Red medium on the second addition indicates nitrate was not reduced and a negative test result. However, if the medium does not change after the addition of the zinc, the unknown is positive for nitrate reduction, as the nitrite has just been further reduced, preventing its detection. The result that yielded was positive on the first step.

2. We measured 1 mL of turnip peroxidase (the enzyme) and 3 mL of neutral buffer (pH corresponding to the test tube number i.e. pH 5 in test tube 5) with a syringe and disposed it into tubes 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 10

The enzyme urease breaks urea down into NH3 and CO2. An orange broth containing urea is used for this test and needs to be inoculated with the gram negative bacteria. A pink color in the medium indicates a urease-positive organism, an orange or yellow is negative.

I used an inoculating needle to stab the SIM test tube and then incubated it at 37 degrees Celsius for 24 hours. The SIM test was used to test whether an organism has the ability to reduce sulfur to hydrogen sulfide. Iron salts in the media reacts with the hydrogen sulfide to form a black precipitate called ferric sulfide. If sulfur can be reduced than a black color will be seen in the tube. This test also sees if an organism is and indole producer. Indole producers are bacteria that produce the enzyme trytophanase which can hydrolyze tryptophan to pyruvate, ammonia and indole. To test for indole production,

This lab experiment was done for the purpose of learning how to determine a gram negative bacterium based on multiple tests learned throughout the semester. My gram negative unknown bacterium given to me was Salmonella typhimurium based off of the following tests; Triple Sugar Iron Agar (TSIA), Sulfate Indole Motility (SIM), Methyl Red (MR), Voges-Proskaur (VP), Citrate, Urea Hydrolysis, and Gelatin Hydrolysis. Each test performed gives results such as motility, acid production, fermentation, carbon requirements, or detection of certain coenzymes. With a process of elimination, I determined which bacteria it was not and which bacterium I had, S. typhimurium. The expectation was to master the techniques for each test and utilize the results to determine the unknown bacterium I was given within a two-week period.

An inverted Durham tube was used again to test for the production of any gas. Adding 10 drops of both sulfanilic acid and á-napththylamine to the medium if the first test to see if nitrite is present. If nitrite is present, the medium turns red, indicating a positive test. However, if the medium does not change, a second test is performed to see if nitrite was further reduced. In this second test, zinc powder is added to the broth to catalyze the reduction of any nitrate present to nitrite. If nitrate is present when the zinc is added the reduction of this compound will cause the medium to turn red, from the previously added reagents. Red medium on the second addition indicates nitrate was not reduced and a negative test result. However, if the medium does not change after the addition of the zinc, the unknown is positive for nitrate reduction, as the nitrite has just been further reduced, preventing its detection.

In case of Sulfur Indole Motility test, unknown was negative for sulfur reduction since there was no color change and the media was not black indication no sulfur was reduced. For indole production test, red color was noticed at the top when the Kovac’s reagent was added indicating tryptophan was broken into indole and pyruvate. The motility test was positive since there was growth radiating outward from the stab indicating motility.

When checking the results, H2S was negative, there were no black precipitants in the tube, and the organism was motile. After recording those results, I went to the hood to add Kovoc’s reagent to the SIMs and waited for about 30 minutes before observing to get the results, and it came out to be negative for indole as well. At this point, only one organism matched every result that I received during all my tests, I decided to do my confirmation test. I did Methyl Red and Voges-Proskauer tests for my confirmation test. After inoculating the MRVP broth and incubating it at 37oC for 120 hours, I took my separated samples to the hood and added in the Methyl Red in one tube and reagent A then B in the other tube, I mixed it and checked in on both tubes after every 10 minutes. About 45 minutes later it was clear what the results were, negative for methyl red and positive for Voges-Proskauer. That confirmed that my unknown O17 was Enterobacter

One MR-VP broth was the control tube, which was not inoculated at all. The other MR-VP broth was the treatment broth that was inoculated with the colony 2 stock culture at 30 degrees Celsius for five days. The reason for completing this test first after gram staining was because it was a 5-day test that could be left over the weekend. There were no variables, it was either negative or positive, and there would be no misleading guesses. The plan I had going into this was to perform all the tests possible with no variables or not determined results to reduce the potential for errors. On Monday I will get the control and treatment inoculated test tubes back to determine wither the unknown organism is positive or negative based off of the color in which the broth will

The medias used in the experiment were the EMB agar and LT broth. LT broths are a selective/differential medium which contains sodium lauryl sulfate which is a detergent that stomach and intestinal bacteria have the ability to withstand. LT broths also contain lactose that supoorts coliform growth by fermentation. EMB agars are differential mediums that contain dyes that are inhibitors of Gram-positive organisms. They also produce dark colored colonies around

To keep this a fair test I have made sure that the acid used is the